Retrospective evaluation of scaling associated with the IITA Cassava Weed Management Project (CWMP)

Résumé

The Cassava Weed Management Project (CWMP), funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) from 2013-2018, aimed to promote the use of safe and environmentally friendly herbicides for effective weed control in cassava production in Nigeria. This retrospective evaluation, conducted by a consortium of experts from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited, examined the extent to which the private sector has scaled up the herbicides tested and recommended by the CWMP, as well as the factors influencing companies' decisions to register and deploy these products. The evaluation, conducted in 2023-2024, employed a mixed-methods approach that relied heavily on the qualitative approaches to uncover underlying factors affecting scaling and adoption. The methods included document reviews, key informant interviews (KII), focus group discussions (FGD) with cassava farmers, mystery shopper surveys of agro-dealer shops, and quantitative analysis of secondary data from sources like official company data and the Living Standard Measurement Study – Integrated Survey on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA ). The evaluation findings indicate that the private sector has made notable efforts in scaling up some of the recommended herbicides, but the extent of scaling varies across different products. Relying on sales data from herbicide companies to estimate the number of cassava farmers who have adopted various herbicide products over the last five years, the evaluators found that Glyphosates stand out in terms of number of cassava farmers who have adopted these herbicides over this period. Owing to missing sales data from the herbicide companies, our reported estimates focus only on the number of farmers that purchased the herbicides in the most recent year of sale. According to agrochemical company representatives, pre-emergence herbicides like Lagon and Vigor have gained popularity among commercial cassava farmers but face lower adoption rates among smallholder farmers, primarily due to their higher prices. Post-emergence herbicides like Lifeline and SlashaGold, introduced as alternatives to the highly toxic paraquat, have seen limited adoption, with SlashaGold unavailable in the surveyed agro-dealer shops. Agrochemical company representatives and CWMP implementers confirm that the collaboration between IITA and private sector companies during the CWMP played a pivotal role in influencing companies' decisions to register and deploy herbicides. The project provided a platform for the companies to actively participate in the research and testing of their herbicide products, allowing them to see the performance of their products firsthand. This visibility and the positive results from the trials were key factors that motivated companies like Bayer and Syngenta to register and commercialize herbicides such as Lagon and Primextra for use on cassava. The project provided visibility for companies' products, expanded business opportunities, enhanced market awareness, facilitated access to new markets, improved relationships with farmers, and aided promotional activities. Companies reported gaining new markets, increased sales, and improved relationships with farmers due to their association with IITA and the CWMP. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of collaborations between research institutions and private sector companies in facilitating the registration, deployment, and adoption of agricultural technologies. The evaluation identified several factors influencing the scaling process, including market prices, distribution channels, regulatory environment, and farmer preferences, providing valuable insights for future scaling strategies. The study also highlights the adoption dynamics and benefits of using the recommended herbicides among cassava farmers. While some herbicides, particularly glyphosate-based products, have seen widespread adoption, others face challenges related to availability, affordability, and farmer preferences. Factors hindering adoption include the preference for cheaper alternatives, including counterfeit products, the continued use of paraquat due to its perceived effectiveness and familiarity, and decision fatigue among smallholder farmers. The evaluation concludes that engaging the private sector as a product delivery channel was the most appropriate approach to reach small scale cassava farmers. Utilizing alternative channels could have resulted in market distortions, little change to product availability, and would likely lack sustainability. Also, while the CWMP's advocacy efforts successfully encouraged the ban on harmful herbicides like paraquat, the replacement process would take some time especially since farmers still prefer paraquat. Recommendations based on the findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions, such as farmer education, promotional activities, improved distribution channels, and continued advocacy for safer and more effective herbicides. These measures can enhance the adoption of recommended herbicides and ensure sustainable weed management practices among cassava growers, ultimately contributing to increased productivity, food security, and improved livelihoods. This evaluation was commissioned under EVITA (Evaluating Inclusive Transformation in Agriculture), which generates evidence on the outcomes and impacts of investments made by the Agricultural Development Team (AgDev) at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and aims to increase the efficiency of and maximize collective learning from AgDev's evaluations. The underlying data is accessible on Harvard Dataverse.

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